Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-17
An AWFUL DEATH.
A Father, Mother ard -Four Little Ones
in the City Of Nsw Orleans the
Victims Of Midnight Flames,
A Fire in 4 GrOcerY Store Causes Pow
der Explosion which Engulfs the
SleeperS ia an Oeean OF Flame,
ohicaEo Visited by Four hundred Thou
Sand Dollar Blsz~-srveral Ftr-lnen
Arc Knocked from a Ladder
Vhoio Family Burned.

Special TO the Gazette.
NEW ORLEANS, La, Sept. 1t At an
early ShCur this morning the Messina
family OF six was exterminated, burned
to death in their beds. Messiua kept :
grocery on the corner Of Dguphine and
Engine streets. He had quarters for
sportsInen's goods. Among the stock
Wss all sorts of hunters supplies. shot
powder, etc. He was very busy !zs1 Dfght
and WAS kept up till midnight. Abour
1850 gentleman passing noticed smoke
issuing from the house. He tried 10
arouse the family but could not, and ran
to the engine house. lie had gone but
few yards when
A FRIGHTFUL EXPLOSION
was hesrd in The house The explosion
spread the fire so rapidly that one minute
alterWaEd the flames were issuing from
every window and door from both streets.
Ine family who slept up stairs were
awakened oy the explosion. The hremen
were on hand few minutes after the ex
pIoslon, ard desperate efforts were made
TO rescue the inmates, whose screams and
shrleks could De plainly heard by those
IN the street. Some Of the dremen pene-
tTated into the rear of the building and
got within speaking distance OF Messius.
shouting to him to come that way
81 can't do H." he shouted 0ack. eve
are shut in"
The mex. minute the roof ceved in.
There was 3 short silence and then q
long deafening shrek was heard which
sWelIed 10 q high pitch and sank away
into
A GROAN OF. AGONY.
The cry was that of Mrs. MESSING and
was the last sound heard comIng from
the house. 1t was some time before the
hremen could eXtiDguish the flames SUI
nclentiY to get their way into the build
ing. They fouad Messina in the second
room up stairs hardly dressed and burn
ed almost beyond RECOGNITION
Ihe WorkhOuse gang wss put at work in
the debris. By o'clock the BODY of q
boy was found burned under the runs.
The floor OF the room in which he slept
had given way aud the body was thrown
down the stairs. Between that time and
daylight two other bodies were found.
This morning the BODY OF Mrs. Messipa
was recovered with the youngest child. =
baby, clasped in her arms lying dead in
the front room Immediately ABOVE the
scene. TIE dead are.
D. NJ, MEssINA, aged thirly-seyen
years.
Mrs. MESsINA, aged twenty-six wears.
PLACIDE, aged five years.
WALTER, aged Jour years.
ELISE, aged three years
MARIE, aged fifteen months.
No member of the family survived. The
servant girl escaped by jumping from the
rear end OF the gallery 10 the street, but
broke her leg in doing so.
Henry Daset, q boarder, also escaped
without injury. The bodies were burned
beyond recognition and could only be
Identified by their size. Afessinn
was native of New Orleans.
His wife, TO whom he has been married
seven years, was also New Orleans born,
being Miss Alice Daset, of French de-
scent. He was in comfortable circum
much respected, an industrious
and prosperous merchant and member of
the ire company, which tried so hard TO
reScUe him